What’s happening in Portland is “maybe the most fascinating thing in the league” according to NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, and he’s not wrong.
Their star player, Damian Lillard has made it very clear he doesn’t want to play alongside prospects that will take two to three years to develop.
The almost-33-year-old wants a team that can contend for championship and he wants it now!
But the Blazers have now been dealt the number three pick in the upcoming NBA draft, a pick which historically holds a lot value.
Talents including Carmelo Anthony, James Harden, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic were picked third overall in their respective drafts.
So if the Blazers do decide to hold onto their pick, Lillard could walk and Miami would be a great landing spot for him, according to ESPN’s Windhorst.
“It feels strange to me to talk about a team in the Finals, like the Miami Heat, but the Miami Heat make a lot of sense if Dame were to become available,” The NBA Insider said. “They have a number of future first-round picks they can trade. They have a number of interesting young players. It would be a really fascinating opportunity if he were to come to market.”
This isn’t the first time Windhorst has floated the Dame to Miami idea, as he said in April, “I would put them on the list for Dame Lillard if Dame ends up getting traded.”
He also suspected that much of the Heat’s offer would be built around guard Tyler Herro, who has been injured for almost seven weeks and will look to make his return in the NBA Finals very soon.
If Miami don’t succeed in winning a chip, it is clear they should definitely angle at getting another high impact and reliable player to pair with Jimmy Butler.
Lillard is certainly that player, as he averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 58 games this season.